Kiel Cooks at Speedo Championship Series’ Cleveland Stop

By John Lohn

CLEVELAND, Ohio, March 29. LATER this week, Alyssa Kiel will kick off her April schedule with the World Championship Trials in Indianapolis. As for her March slate, it wrapped up in pretty impressive fashion.

Competing at the Cleveland stop on the Speedo Championship Series from March 17-20, Kiel posted victories in six events, setting meet records in five of her forays. Representing the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins, Kiel established meet standards in the 1,000 freestyle (9:38.54), 200 free (1:49.38), 400 individual medley (4:17.78), 500 free (4:44.65) and the 1,650 free (16:23.62).

For good measure, she bested the field in the 200 breaststroke (2:19.97). At the World Champs Trials, Kiel is set to tackle an ambitious schedule, as she’s entered in the 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 freestyles and the 400 I.M.

Kiel, however, wasn’t the only individual making noise in Cleveland, as Chris Ash cruised to the breaststroke double with impressive times. After taking the 100 distance in 55.01, Ash scorched a meet-record effort of 1:58.92 in the 200 breast. Ash is considered the top scholastic breaststroker in the nation.

Other swims of note included the triple wins of Fiona O’Donnell-McCarthy. The Lake Erie Silver Dolphin set a meet record in the 100 back (55.97) and also added triumphs in the 100 freestyle (51.34) and 200 backstroke (2:01.51). Meanwhile, Ava Ohlgren (Bulldog Aquatics) won the 200 I.M. in a meet-record swim of 1:59.67 and prevailed in the 50 free (23.37).

Dana Christ (Atlantis) swept the butterfly events (54.74/2:02.14) and Michael Christy earned an individual medley sweep on the male side with a meet record in the 400 (3:55.74) and a 1:50.49 mark in the 200. Nate King, swimming unattached, won the backstroke events. King clocked 49.70 in the 100 and established a meet record in the 200 of 1:47.66.